Podcast – Episode 39: The Secret to Turning Every Guest Into a Donor
In this episode of Auction Is Action with U in It!, Bobby D. Ehlert shares one of the simplest and most overlooked fundraising techniques you can add to your next event: the paddle drop.
Most nonprofits end the paddle raise and move on. But there are always guests in the room who saw the storytelling, felt something, and just were not quite ready to raise their paddle at a higher level. The paddle drop gives them their moment. And that moment can change everything.
Key Takeaways
The Paddle Drop Is the Final Giving Level of the Night
Whether the level is set at $250, $100, or $50, the paddle drop is a strength-in-numbers moment. If 300 people each give $100, that is $30,000. The paddle drop invites everyone still standing to participate at whatever level is meaningful to them, with an incentive to sweeten the decision.An Incentive Turns Hesitation Into Action
The paddle drop works best when there is something to win. A beautiful bottle of champagne. A cash prize. A consignment travel package. Airline tickets. Sports tickets. The chance to win something tangible gives guests who are on the fence the final nudge they need. They are giving to the mission and giving themselves a chance to win something in return.The Collection Creates Energy
Instead of calling out paddle numbers one by one, volunteers sweep the room and collect every paddle from guests who gave. Those paddles come to the stage, a special guest or honoree picks one, and on the count of three the paddles fly into the air. It is a natural photo moment, a memorable sendoff to the evening, and a genuine burst of energy at exactly the right time.The Paddle Drop Transforms Guests Into Donors
A lot of guests arrive at an event unsure whether they are going to give. The storytelling moves them. The paddle raise builds the moment. But some of them still hold back. The paddle drop creates one final, low-stakes on-ramp. And when they give, even at the entry level, they are no longer a guest. They are a donor. And now you have access to steward that relationship.That First Donation Is a Test
When a guest gives for the first time, they are watching what happens next. How does the organization treat them? Do they receive a thank you? Does anyone follow up? Is there an invitation to get more involved? That first donation is not just revenue. It is the beginning of a relationship that, with the right stewardship, can grow into something significant over time.The Paddle Drop Raises Money Beyond the Event
The real value of converting a guest into a donor is not the $100 they gave that night. It is the coffee meeting, the facility tour, the monthly gift, the major gift that follows. The paddle drop plants that seed.
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Bobby D.:
Well, hello there everyone and welcome back to the Auction Is Action with You in It podcast. My name is Bobby D, your host, as well as world champion auctioneer, billion-dollar fundraiser, been doing this for 20-plus years, founder of Call to Auction, co-founder of the Gala Toolbox and Inspire Hearts Fundraising, and a contractor for many auction firms across the nation.
I've been doing a few galas and golf tournaments and fundraisers over the years and have been working with nonprofit clients nationwide. And today I am super excited to talk about a tool you can use at your fundraising event to engage more donors, raise more money, and create a burst of excitement at the end of your paddle raise. Today we are calling that the paddle drop.
What is the paddle drop? What is the paddle sweep, the paddle turn-in, whatever you want to call it? What this is is the final giving level of your night. Whether it is $250, $100, $50, whatever it might be. I like to call this the strength-in-numbers level. Friends, there are 300 of us here today, and if everybody was able to donate $100, we could raise $30,000. And $30,000 can help us do this, and this, and this. Then what we want to do is encourage everybody to make a donation at this level. But wait, there is more. We are going to incentivize you to give, to win this thing, whatever this thing is.
And that thing could be a beautiful bottle of champagne. It could be a cash prize. It could be a trip you pull out of your live auction, a consignment package from one of your wonderful consignment vendors, tickets to a sports game. I have seen airline tickets work very well in the paddle drop. Whatever that incentive item is, guests at the final giving level have a chance to win it.
Here is the easiest way to do it. On the count of three, get those paddles up. One, two, three. Who wants to give? Oh my gosh, there are so many paddles in the air. Instead of calling out all those paddle numbers one by one, what we are going to do is have our volunteers run around the room and collect these paddles. We bring them together and we are going to pick one. One lucky donor is going to receive the prize. It is a very active, dynamic way of fundraising but also kind of passive in the best possible way. We are not calling off individual paddle numbers. We are just sweeping around, grabbing all those paddles, gathering them, and bringing them to the stage.
And here is what is great about the paddle drop: it creates an amazing photo opportunity. We pick someone to be the picker. Maybe it is the board chair, maybe it is the gala chair, maybe it is an honoree, maybe it is a child from the mission. We bring them up on stage, stand next to them with the full collection of paddles, and on the count of three we throw the paddles in the air. One, two, three. Paddles go flying. And then they reach in and pull one. Paddle number 204: you are our winner. You win the trip to Maui. Whatever it might be.
It becomes a great photo moment. It becomes a natural sendoff into the rest of the evening because you have built up the anticipation, the excitement, the energy. And at the end of the day, the organization is the final winner because it was all about the fundraising.
Now here is the real reason to use the paddle drop at your fundraising event. It is one of the easiest ways to transform a guest into a donor. A lot of times you have guests at your event who are kind of on the fence. They saw the storytelling. They felt something. But they were not quite ready to raise their paddle at a higher level. If they have a chance to win a trip to Maui for a $100 donation, that changes the calculation. Maybe they will make a $100 donation. Maybe $250. Whatever it might be. That guest has now decided: I am going to give. I am going to give to the cause. And there is a little extra motivation to do it.
But here is what really matters. That guest has now been transformed into a donor. And because you have done that, you now have access. You can reach out after the event and say: because of your generosity and your donation, we were able to do this, and this, and this. And we would love for you to be more involved. Maybe they come in for a tour. Maybe you have coffee with them. Whatever the next step is. The paddle drop taps into their philanthropic wallet and it becomes a test donation. They are watching how you treat them next.
This is all about donor stewardship and donor cultivation. Transforming that guest into a donor, and then stewarding that relationship into something much bigger over time. The paddle drop is a great tool to raise money at your event. But even bigger than that, it is a tool to raise money beyond the event.
Make sure you download our Stop Hiring the Free Guy guide. The link is below. The paddle drop is one of the techniques we cover showing you how to invest in a professional fundraising auction team. Speaking of which, thank you to our sponsor: Call to Auction. We work with nonprofits nationwide through our fundraising team network to put the right person in your room at the right time to say the right things and do the right fundraising. It is our passion to help nonprofits like yours succeed. We are in business to serve you, serve your mission, and raise as much money as we can. Check us out at calltoauction.com. We are ready to help you anywhere with any size budget.
Thank you so much for all of the impact you are making out there in the world and for choosing to create better events. This is a decision you are making and I want to congratulate you on it. You are raising more money, creating more impact, and fulfilling your mission.
Bobby D with the Auction Is Action with You in It podcast. Thanks for watching and we will see you on the next one.
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At Call to Auction, we specialize in turning galas and fundraising events into mission-driven, revenue-generating experiences. From paddle raises to live auctions, our team knows how to excite donors, engage audiences, and inspire generosity in the moment.